What is a 'phantom car accident'?

A phantom car accident sounds like you have been struck by an invisible vehicle. Actually, it's you, the victim of a phantom car crash, who is invisible.

A phantom car crash occurs when one driver causes an accident, but doesn't actually see it happen, and so drives away.

Maybe you crash into yet a third vehicle or your car leaves the highway entirely. Severe injuries happen when you are traveling at high speed and suddenly go off-road.

Phantom crashes are not uncommon. They occur whenever one driver forces another off the road. The phantom driver may be driving recklessly or speeding, or they may simply be oblivious to what they have done.

Either way, if you are the victim of such a crash, you may feel up the creek. How can you get sue the other driver's insurance company if the other driver disappears?

The predicament is essentially the same as a hit-and-run accident. The solution is also the same. In all likelihood, you have opted for uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on your auto policy.

Instead of suing the phantom driver's insurance company, the injured party files a claim with his or her own insurer. Any compensation will have to come from them.

This sounds like a wonderful solution, and it often is. But there is a catch. Your insurance company is no more eager to pay you for your pains than the other driver's insurance company would have been. Your insurance company may drag its feet, stretch out the process, deny the seriousness of the accident, or offer you a nickel on the dollar to pay your medical bills.

This is one of those times when you need an experienced attorney on your side, to keep the insurance company honest. They are less likely to get cute about paying compensation when they are up against people who know the law.

$1.140 Million Drunk Driver Accident — Underinsured Motorist

Mr. Rosenthal obtained a settlement for a passenger in a vehicle being driven by a drunk driver that ran off a wet roadway at 90 miles per hour and hit a tree. The insurance company that provided uninsured motorist coverage...

$1 Million Armored Truck Accident — Lower Back Surgery

Our client was driving down Madison Avenue in Sacramento when an armored truck pulled out of a parking lot directly in his path. Prior to the collision, our client had "chronic" lower back pain, but had to undergo surgery...

The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.